Ostara Biomedical has just been awarded a significant Innovate UK award to develop the OvuMouse delivery system for superovulation.

ProgenySys™ OvuMouse is an alternative method for superovulating mice in breeding programmes. By replacing the traditional method (using pregnant mares’ serum gonadotrophin - PMSG) with alternative molecules, Ostara aims to refine the superovulation procedure – reducing variability, maximising the number of oocytes collected and thereby reducing the number of females required overall.

Commenting on the grant, Dr. Nadia Gopichandran, CEO of Ostara said “this is a significant achievement for Ostara, and allows the company to develop new products that address ethical concerns by refining current methodology and reducing significantly the number of animals needed in breeding programmes”.

A research paper entitled “A Bayesian view of murine seminal cytokine networks” has been published in PLoS One. This paper was the result of a collaboration with the University of Leeds, with input from the Department of Systems Biology at Harvard Medical School. The publication explores the conservation of seminal plasma cytokine networks in murine species, research which underpins much of the product development undertaken by Ostara.

Mr David Danson, Chair of the Board at Ostara Biomedical, will be attending the UAR Openness Awards Ceremony in London on Monday 4th December. This event includes the 81st Stephen Paget Memorial Lecture, this year given by Professor Clive Page, and an opportunity to network. Further information can be found at www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk

Ostara Biomedical has submitted a final report to the NC3Rs CRACK IT Solutions fund. This fund awarded £24,319 to Ostara in partnership with Dr Ian Rosewell, Head of Transgenic Services at CRUK, for a solution entitled “A novel Product for reducing animal numbers in the production of transgenic mice”. Ostara Biomedical would like to thank the NC3Rs for their support, which has enabled this exciting 3Rs product to become closer to market.

Marble Product Design, a small, experienced team of engineers and designers, are to continue to work with Ostara Biomedical in order to create a platform vaginal delivery mechanism. Based in Cambridge, Marble have provided design expertise to Ostara over the past year, with the design stage now reaching an advanced stage.

Dr. Sarah Field, Technical Director at Ostara Biomedical, said “development of the vaginal delivery mechanism for mice is a significant step forward in Ostara’s product development timeline. We are excited to enter this next phase with Marble, and with the support of the Innovate UK award bring Ostara’s suite of products closer to market.”

Ostara Biomedical is delighted to announce a continued relationship with ThioMatrix. Based in Innsbruck, Austria, ThioMatrix provides specialised formulation services for drug delivery through mucosal membranes. The expertise at ThioMatrix supports Ostara’s product development aims, particularly in relation to vaginal drug delivery systems.